Capitol Weekly's Shane Goldmacher reports on the
links between the NAACP and big tobacco, PhRMA and telecom. "The president of the California NAACP has been paid $100,000 by a campaign account funded by tobacco giant Philip Morris at the same time that the civil-rights organization is siding with the cigarette-maker in opposing a tobacco-tax on the November ballot.
Alice Huffman, who has served as president of the state NAACP since 1999, is also on retainer by AT&T for $12,000 per month--a fact she never disclosed to her organization--even as Huffman testified on behalf of the NAACP in support of major legislation to ease access for the phone company into the lucrative cable industry.
Those payments to Huffman, coupled with NAACP endorsements, have some activists in the African-American community wondering where exactly Huffman's consulting operation ends and the NAACP begins.
"These are very questionable kinds of activities," says
Joe Hicks, former executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the civil-rights organization founded by
Martin Luther King, Jr. "That she's receiving money from industry folks and all of a sudden is carrying the water for their interests--it should raise some eyebrows."
Meanwhile, Philip Morris, the drug industry and AT&T are three of the largest financial backers of the California NAACP. The money illuminates an ongoing debate within the black community about the increasing financial dependence of the nation's pre-eminent civil-rights organization on money from large corporate donors."
CW's John Howard takes a look at a little-known fund in the attorney general's office, and the connection between law firms that profits from large civil cases and donate to the AG's office. "As Bill Lockyer prepares to leave the attorney general's office, one aspect of his legacy is as little known to the general public as it is lucrative to many California law firms: the False Claims Act.
Lockyer's aggressive intervention in lawsuits--under a law that, as a legislator, he engineered--has resulted in
hefty sums for whistleblowers, their lawyers and others who successfully challenge corporate misdeeds or governmental sloth. Over the past eight years, the False Claims Act Fund--which is administered by Lockyer--has brought in some
$264 million in settlement revenues, assessments, fees and other money. The unit, with its specialized litigators, has an operating budget of $12 million, making it arguably the most cost-effective operation in government.
But it has outraged critics, mostly Republicans, who contend that Lockyer, a Democrat, has used his broad authority through False Claims Act and similar cases to reward law firms and others who support him politically.
It is an allegation that Lockyer and his staff emphatically deny, even though seven major law firms who have handled such duties for the state have
donated more than $1.05 million to Lockyer's political campaigns during the past decade."
Meanwhile, in Hollywood...
"While his opponent pleaded with NBC affiliates to black out Arnold Schwarzenegger's appearance on "The Tonight Show" on Wednesday, the Republican incumbent
ignored his Democratic challenger and exchanged quips with host Jay Leno instead," reports Laura Mecoy in the Bee.
"During Schwarzenegger's 15-minute appearance, the only reference to the combative California campaign came in Leno's questions. Neither mentioned Democratic candidate Phil Angelides by name."
"Leno did ask if Schwarzenegger thought the political ads that seek to tie him to
President Bush were fair."
"'
To link me to George Bush is like linking me to an Oscar,' replied the former action star."
"'That's quite a leap,' Leno said."
The LAT's J. Michael Kennedy reports "
Cathy Calfo, Angelides' campaign manager,
wrote a letter to 11 NBC affiliates in California asking for the equal time because Angelides hadn't been invited and Schwarzenegger hadn't canceled."
"'
I hereby demand that your affiliate provide Phil Angelides with equal time, if you carry Gov. Schwarzenegger's appearance on 'The Tonight Show,' ' Calfo wrote. She then went on to suggest several legal precedents for her demand."
"
Tracy St. Pierre, an NBC spokeswoman, said she had not received a letter asking for equal time."
"'
He'll be considered, just like any other guest,' St. Pierre said of Angelides. 'He's not scheduled.'"
Peter Hecht
reviews the activist role Angelides has played as state treasurer. "[A]s he became California state treasurer in 1998, Phil Angelides concedes he didn't know how to pull off an ambitious goal: to remake a largely ministerial job into an engine for social, economic and environmental change."
"So Angelides says he called upon a network of 'thought leaders' -- from a philosopher on race relations to socially and environmentally conscious economists and venture capitalists."
"With their guidance and inspiration, he deployed his office to reshape state investment strategies by shifting billions of dollars in pension fund money to real estate ventures in underserved urban communities, to small business loans and to companies promoting clean technologies."
"'I never held myself out as the most creative person,' Angelides said in an interview recounting his tenure as treasurer. 'But I believe I have the ability to open my eyes and open my ears and to read and reach out to smart people to find out what is going on at the cutting edge.'"
Meanwhile, the governor
sat down with the Chronicle. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today insisted that he has kept a 2003 campaign promise not to be beholden to special interests, saying he is above the pay-to-play politics of his predecessor," report Marisa Lagos in the Chron.
"In an interview with the Chronicle editorial board this morning, Schwarzenegger said he has never pledged to shun money from special interest groups, but rather promised that donors could not buy favors from his office with donations."
"'
I never said I would not accept money, that special interests are no good and would not be part of the mix,' he said. 'I said we have to stop the money from going in and the favors from going out. ...
I cannot be bought by anyone, and anyone who gives me money buys into that philosophy.'"
"Answering questions, the governor -- who vetoed a gay marriage bill last year -- refused to say whether he would support overturning Proposition 22, the California law that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman."
"'
I will get back to you on that,' he said, after hesitating."
"He also wouldn't say whether he would sign a gay marriage bill in the event Prop. 22 is overturned by voters."
"'
I have so many things to think about every day, I am not thinking at all about those hypotheticals,' he said."
What to most candidates are positions are instead hypotheticals to this governor.
"Despite promising to return donations from insurance companies, Lt. Gov.
Cruz Bustamante has kept tens of thousands of dollars from them and accepted money from others he will oversee if he becomes state insurance commissioner," reports Dan Morain in the Times.
"Just before the June primary election, Bustamante, facing criticism for taking insurance money, announced that he would repay such contributions, then estimated at $158,000.
He has since given some of that money back and used some to reduce an old campaign debt."
"Since 2005, Bustamante, a Democrat, has collected $260,000 from entities he would oversee if he wins Nov. 7. He returned $123,000 to its insurance-related sources. He used 17 other such donations, totaling $65,950, to help pay debt from his 2003 run for governor. More than $73,000 remains for his current campaign, although Bustamante said Wednesday that he would return $16,000 identified by The Times as insurance money."
"The Bay Area is
one of the few battlegrounds in state legislative races, with the Democratic stronghold trying to oust the lone Republican state lawmaker while the GOP attempts to capture a seat held by a termed-out Democrat," writes Steve Geissinger.
"Other areas throughout the region will see new faces due to term limits, but they likely will be those of Democrats."
"The outcome of the two battles — involving GOP incumbent Assemblyman Guy Houston of San Ramon in the 15th District and the open 17th District Tracy-based seat — might alter the region's political shade a bit but are two of just seven true legislative battles statewide."
"The other 93 legislative seats on the Nov. 7 ballot are considered safe for incumbents, leaving the Democrats dominant in both houses. Democrats currently hold 25 of the Senate's 40 seats and 48 of the Assembly's 80 seats."
"'
We probably won't pick up any seats, and they probably won't pick up any seats,' [Speaker
Fabian] Nuñez said. "With this anti-Republican mood across the country, we might be able to end up with two more, but I'm not banking on it.'"
CW's Malcolm Maclachlan looks at
the rising price of ballot initiatives. "If you can't afford to qualify your initiative in 2008, Arnold, the bonds, and absentee voting may be to blame.
Some pollsters and initiative sponsors have predicted these factors will lead to a far higher turnout this year compared to 2002. This, in turn, would drive up the number of signatures needed to qualify an initiative. At least two groups have said the anticipated higher turnout has led them to file their 2008 initiatives before this year's election."
"A Yolo County judge's ruling upholding a California law that allows public colleges and universities to extend resident fees to illegal immigrants
will be appealed, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said Wednesday."
"'We fully intend to appeal,' said
Kris Kobach of the Immigration Reform Law Institute, adding the challenge will be filed within the next few weeks in the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento."
"The class action lawsuit was filed last December on behalf of out-of-state students, including two children of Rep.
Brian Bilbray, R-Carlsbad."
The fight over whether or not to put a Target in Davis had its
Rich Sybert moment when
a sign thief was apparently caught on video. We bring it to you through a tip from a campaign operative, and the magic of YouTube...
And a thanks to KQED's John Myers, the Duke Alum who dug up
this little gem about our dearly-departed finance director,
Donna Arduin. Arduin, who was known for wielding her budget axe without mercy.
First, it shows Donna at work: "On a cool Monday night in March, Donna Arduin pulls a Mercedes E-class up to the Governor's Club in Tallahassee and hands the keys to a valet. She walks into a room full of state senators and lobbyists and makes her way from table to table. A player piano sends lounge music wafting over a steady rhythm of chatter and low rumbles of laughter, the noise mingling with smoke eddying from expensive cigars. A plasma screen shows FOX News on mute, but the Florida lawmakers, who have put their Blackberrys and Palm Pilots on tables next to single-malts and merlots, are too engrossed in conversation to notice.
And then, off the clock: " On Saturday, after watching Duke win the second-round game in the NCAA tournament, Arduin heads for the airport to fly back to Tallahassee. Waiting at a red light, she looks through the window at a homeless man sitting on the curb, holding up a cardboard sign that reads "Anything helps--Smile--God Bless."
It's an uncomfortable moment. The homeless man sees her, they make eye contact, he smiles, she looks away. Then, she turns back and, too softly for him to hear--but with conviction--says, 'Get a job.'"
